SHIPPENSBURG, Pa.— It was a lovingly maternal push that helped a young Clay Aiken realize that maybe he should share his voice with others.

He’ll be doing just that Saturday night when he makes a stop at the H. Ric Luhrs Performing Arts Center at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania as part of his “Joyful Noise” tour.

As a child, Aiken said he was always singing.

“My mom said I was singing before I was even talking,” he said during a telephone interview from New York City.

But by the time he was in middle school, he didn’t want to participate in choir.

“I didn’t want to sing,” he said. “I really liked singing, but I wanted to do something else in sixth and seventh grade. I wanted to be on the yearbook staff and that was an elective. I didn’t want to waste my elective on choir.”

However, his mother, Faye Parker, knew that her child could sing and needed the right outlet.

“My mom called the choir teacher and said ‘Listen, he won’t do choir and he needs to do it,’” Aiken, 34, said.

So his mother and teacher arranged for Aiken to come in during the mornings before school.

“And from there, I never really stopped singing,” he said.

Was he meant to be a singer even then? Aiken said he’s not sure.

“I don’t know if I was any good back then or not,” he said. “I’ve heard recordings of me as a kid and I think, ‘Oh my god, I’m awful.’ But I still think that sometimes now.”

Those who watched the second season of “American Idol” in 2003 found out during auditions that Aiken, a teacher at the time, clearly had the makings to be a star. Especially when his audition consisted of a that-voice-came-out-of-that-guy of reaction from the judges about Aiken.

Although he came in second to Ruben Studdard, “Idol” launched Aikens’ career, taking him around the world and even to a stop on the Great White Way.

“People kept clapping and I kept working,” he said.

Aiken promises with the “Joyful Noise” tour that “It’s all holiday, all the time,” Aiken said with a laugh.

This is the fifth time Aiken has taken his holiday music on the road, each time, he said, with a different twist. This year, it’ll just be him and an orchestra on stage.

“There’s something about a French horn that makes it seem like Christmas to me,” he said.

For Aiken, the holiday season doesn’t seem to start until he does the Joyful Noise tour.

“For me, this starts the holiday season off,” he said. “... Even if I decorate the house and deck the halls full out, I still don’t feel like it’s the holiday unless I’m doing the show.”

claythleena @ cv Our siclayfan was called out tonight too. He said this concert was very unique - not just because his mother was there. (Faye did not read her story live, but Clay spoke to her several times as she was sitting in the audience). He wanted to know if anyone knew what made this concert unique. Someone must have shouted that he didn't make any mistakes (lyrics) yet. He asked her to stand and tell her name and it was our Wilma! I'll let her tell you the details

hosaa @ CVFunny thing - we heard that the ushers held a meeting to discuss the artist's no-clack policy. We got scared. Nobody took pictures (at least, no one openly took pictures). Scarlett, of course, was on the job. Front row, right side. Then Clay came out after the first wardrobe change and snarked on this being the first time in 10 years we obeyed the rules. He said "just watch the flashes." Then it was a clack free-for-all. (And unfortunately plenty of flashes.)

I also meant to mention that a lady two seats down from me, who had not been to a Clay Aiken Christmas concert, used quite a few tissues after the first story, and again after "Mary Did You Know?" was done

I thought Clay sounded a bit hoarse or something tonight when singing at first. He made some reference to having a piece of coal in his throat- even though Ship isn't a coal area. LOL. After his first break/change of clothes, he said he had coughed up a piece of coal, and then he did sound better. Now I am not used to sitting so close, so I could be wrong about the sound, but that's how it seemed to me.

hosaa @ CV Clay ragged on one gentleman for letting his wife's friend sit between them. Right before "Don't Save It All For Christmas Day" he said everyone - except him - should tell the person next to them they love them.

Claytheena, you're right about the lump of coal. He asked whether Shippensburg was a coal region. When someone said No rather forcefully, he played like he was taken aback, like whoa, he struck a nerve here.